Pad for fruit containers



pri 1, 193m J. HWOO'DALL 115271 PAD FOR FRUIT CONTAINERS File d March 10, 1928 ATTORNEY" INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 Si PATENT? OFFICE JOHN HJ WOODALL', OFWOODLANDJG EORGIA, ASSIGNOR' IO GEORGIA CUSHION AND 1 WRAPPER COMPANY, OF WOODLAND, GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA PAD FOR FRUIT CONTAINERS Application filed March 10, 1928. Serial No. 260,620.

This invention relates to an improvement in the cushioning pad for fruit containers disclosed in my earlier Patent,No. 1,632,722, granted June 14, 1927. The present pad has the same general structure and purpose of the patented, device, in that it comprises a bat-of resilient fibrous material enclosed by a casing consisting of afacing formed of waterproof paper and a backing of tough paper, the margin of the backing being overlapped by. folded marginal parts of the facing adhering thereto. As set forth in the specification of the patent, the purpose of the waterproof facing is to protect the fibrous bat from moisture and the tough paper backing reinforces the pad to withstand roughhandling. The

.pad'of the patent isshapedto adapt it to rectangular containers, while the present pad is ofastructure particularly adaptedto cylindrical containers, such as circularbaskets and barrels. V

In the harvesting and shipment of fruit there has come into general.use abushelling basket formed of stavesshaped to form a cylindrical body partand a rounded bottom.

To opposite sides of'the basket, handles are attached that project above the rim of the basket and the lid is fitted betweenthese handles. Thelid is formed of a hoop having the-same .diameterlas the rim of the basket and "extending diametrically across the hoop andsecuredthereto are stave strips, .nailed'together at their intersection.- With thelid in place on the basket, the hoop of the former is seated on the rim ofthe latter. In

packing these baskets, ordinarily a circular" that when? the pad is positioned. it will not be "rumpled ordistorted by being forced between 'ameter to pas s 'smoothly between the handles is positioned on the fruit, it has been found that the scanty. edge part ofthe pad is insufiicient to protect the fruit adjacent to the metrical area slightly greater than the corresponding area at the mouth of the basket so that the edge of the positioned pad'extends slightly outside; of the basket rim. This extension of the pad projects the scanty edge part outside of the container so that a thick part of the pad overliesthe fruit adjacent to the rims of the basket and lid to provide the required protection. To permit this extension of the pad, the latter on opposite sides is cut away so thatit can be fitted between the handles without becoming rumpled or distorted. Often bushellingbaskets are provided with four handles. To accommodate these handles, the pad isgiven an octagonal shape, which provides the opposite cut-away sides for baskets provided with'two or four sides. This octagonal formation of the pad also facilitates the embodiment of certain structural features,-hereinafter pointed out in detail, that are an advantage to the pad; also,the octagonal formation permits the employmentof a novel method for the manufacture of the pad, whereby certain improvements in the product are attained. j

In the shipment of fruit in containers, particularly in refrigerator cars, it. is important thatventilation be provided to "prevent deterioration. To facilitate this, the pad is provided with ventilating openings and in the pad of the present invention the edges of these openings are reinforced by: strips that 'preventtearing of the thin-waterproof paper of the pad facing, these reinforcingstrips extending through the pad and binding together the face and back tending to strengthon the pad and to prevent displacement of the fibrous material forming the resilient bat.

In the drawings,in which similar referonce characters designate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is plan view of the reverse side of the facing for the pad, showing the arrangement of the folds in the paper,

Figure 2 is plan view, showing the back of a completed'pad, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail'sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the pad comprises the bat 10 of resilient fibrous material, such as excelsior, enclosed by a casing formed of a facing 11 of waterproof paper and a backing 12 of stout paper. The pad-is octagonal in shape, having four long sides. 13 of equal length interspaced with four short sides 14 also of equal length. With the pad in place in a container filled with fruit, the waterproof facing 11 contacts with the fruit and prevents mois ture therefrom entering the material of the bat. The tough paper of the backing 12 reinforces the pad so that it will withstand rough handling.

The facing 11 is formed of a sheet of paper of rectangular shape having an area consid-. erably greater than that of the completed ad. In the formation of the pad, preliminary to folding the facing'sheet, the latter is posltionedwith its four corners in diagonal extension of the four short sides 14, corresponding to the four short sides of the completed pad. In the formation of the pad, these four corner parts of the facing sheet are folded over the short sides 14 in triangular folds 15 to overlap the back of the bat. Also, the intermediate parts of the facin sheet, between the corner parts, are folde over the long sides 13 in rhomboidal folds 16 to overlap the back of the bat. In forming the folds, beneath one side of the triangular fold a tuck is formed in the paper, as indicated by dotted lines at 17, and on the other side of the triangular fold, as at 18, a tuck is formed beneath the end of the adjacent rhomboidal fold 16.

By superimposing the larger. triangular folds over the smaller rhomboidal folds, an even surface is prepared for the subsequently applied backing.

With the folds 15 and 16 in place against the back of the bat, the backing 12 of tough paper-is pasted over the folds to close the casing. In outline the backing is the same as is that of the pad, but the backing is of less area so that a somewhat flexible. margin is provided at theedge of the pad. At inter vals the: pad is provided with ventilating openings 19 extending through the same, preferably through the folds 15 of the facing. To form a ventilating opening, a square aperture is cut through the pad at about the central part of the fold 15. To protect the edges of the opening against accidental tearing and to prevent closing of the opening by the shifting of the fibrous filling, binding strips 20 are pasted over the edges of the casing at the opening. These strips also serve to bind together the facing and backing to stiffen the pad as a whole.

In forming the pads in actual practice, the shaping and folding of the parts will not follow the exact geometrical outlay indicated in the drawings, but will follow the same more or less roughly according to the skill and care exercised by the operator.

What I claim is:

1. Acushioning pad for a cylindrical fruit container, comprising a fibrous bat sha ed to approximately a circular contour to fit the rim at the mouth of the container and a protective casing enclosing the bat consisting of a facing extending over the face of the bat and folded over the entire edgeof the bat with the folds overlying the back of the bat; and a reinforcing'backing extending over the back of the bat and pasted over the folds to close the casing, said backing bein of less area than the bat to provide a flexible margin adjacentthe edge of the bat covered only by the facing and thefolds formed of the facin 2. A cushioning pad for cylindrical fruit containers, comprising a fibrous hat of polygonal contour adapted to fit, a cylindrical container; and a protective casing enclosing the bat consisting of a facin extending over the face of the bat and folded over the edge of the bat to form a series of folds overlying the back of the bat with a fold coincident with each of the sides ofthe polygonal contour; and a reinforcing. backing extending over the back of the bat and pasted over the folds to close theoasingl A 3. A cushioning pad for cylindrical fruit containers, compr singa fibrous hat of polygonal contour adapted to fit a cylindrical container and a protective casing enclosing the batconsisting of-a facing'extending'over the face of the bat and folded over the edge of the bat to form a series of-major folds, interspaced with a series of minor folds, the folds of bothseries extending overthe back of the bat, and each fold being'coincident with a side of the polygonal contour of the bat; and areinforcingbacking extending over the back of the bat and pasted over the, folds of both series to close the casing.

4. A cushioning pad for cylindrical fruit containers, comprising a fibrous hat of polygonal contour adapted to fit acylindrica'l container andhaving a series of comparatively long sides interspaced with a :series of comparatively short sides; and a protective: casing enclosing the bat consisting of a facing-extending over the face of the bat and, folded over the edge of the bat to form over theback ofthe bat a series of triangular folds coincident with the shorter sidesof polygonal contour and also aseries ofrhomboidalfoldscoincident with the longer sides of the polygonal contour; and a reinforcing backing extending over the back of the bat and pasted over the major and minor folds to close the casing. v

5. A cushioning pad for fruit containers, comprising a fibrous bat and a protective casing therefor, said casing consisting of a facing extending over the face of the bat and folded over the edge of the bat to form over the back a plurality of folds, and a reinforcing backing extending over the backofthebat and pasted over the folds thereon to close the casing, the casing and bat having ventilating openings extending through the same and through the folds of the casing overlying the back of the bat, and binding strips folded over the edges of the openings.

6; A cus ioning pad for cylindrical fruit containers, comprising a fibrous bat of octagonal contour adapted to fit a cylindrical container and a protective casing for the bat, said casing being formed of a square sheet of paper preliminarily positioned on the face of the bat with the corners of the, sheet in diagonal extension of opposite sides of the octagonal bat, the corners of the sheet being folded over said sides to form folds extending over the back of the bat, and a reinforcing backing extending over the back of the bat and pasted over the folds thereon to close the casing.

7. A cushioning pad for cylindrical fruit containers, comprising a fibrous bat of octagonal contour adapted to fit a cylindrical container and protective casing for the bat, said casing being formed of a square sheet of paper of greater superficial area than that of the bat, the square sheet of paper being preliminarily positioned on the face of the bat with the corners of the sheet in diagonal extension of opposite sides of the octagonal bat, said corners being subsequently folded over the adjacent-sides of the bat to form a series of triangular folds extending over the back of the bat and those parts of the sheet between the triangular folds being folded over the adjacent sides of the octagonalbat to form a series of rhomboidal folds extending over the back of the bat in interspaced relation with the triangular folds, and a reinforcing backing extending over the back ofv the bat and pasted to the triangular and rhomboidal folds to'close the casing. "In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.-

7 JOHN H; WOODALL. 

